Friday, November 22, 2013

Exchanged

The 125th
New York; a regiment raised in Rensselaer County, New York, was officially
exchanged on November 22nd 1862 from Camp Douglas, Chicago,
Illinois.

The 125th
New York Infantry was raised in Rensselaer County, New York and was mustered
into Union service at the end of August 1862 in Troy, New York with Colonel
George L Willard as their commander for a term of three years. The men left Troy by train August 30th
1862 for Martinsburg, Virginia. Just a
few days later they were involved in the Battle of Harper’s Ferry. Several of the men of the regiment were
killed and wounded. The 125th
were also among the 11,500 men garrisoned at Harper’s Ferry who surrendered to
the Confederates on September 15th 1862.

The 125th
along with the other captured troops were sent under parole to Camp Douglas in
Chicago, Illinois to await exchange.
They would be referred to as the “Harpers Ferry Cowards” The exchange came for the 125th on
November 22nd 1862, and the men were sent back to Virginia, where
they took up position in the defense of Washington, DC. They were camped at Centerville on June 24th
1863, when they became part of the II Corps, Union General Alexander Hay’s
Division. Their commander Colonel George
L Willard became the brigade commander.
The men marched off to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. During the Battle of Gettysburg the 125th
lost 139 men killed and wounded, including Colonel Willard.

The 125th
would go on the fight at Bristoe Station, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold
Harbor and many more. They would be engaged
every day during the siege of Petersburg from July 16th 1864 through
April 1st 1865. The 125th
or what was left of it was at Appomattox when Confederate General Robert E Lee
surrendered.

Following
the Grand Review of the troops in Washington, DC, the men of the 125th
proceeded to Troy, New York, where they were mustered out of service June 15th
1865.